1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to transport systems, and more particularly mass transit transportation system or cargo transportation systems that use air pressure to propel the person or cargo carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to move people or things from one place to another is both a necessity and a convenience in today's society. Transportation is a necessity for the easy delivery and distribution of goods and services. It is a convenience as discretionary travel or transport provides an enhanced quality of life.
Ground transportation can be particularly pleasurable as it allows the individuals so traveling to enjoy the surrounding scenery. It is generally less expensive to transport goods by ground services than by air or sea.
With respect to ground transportation, railroads, light rail, monorails, and subways are generally those best known for allowing travel in urban and other areas. Tractor trailer rigs, 18-wheel trucks, and cargo vans provide motorized means by which goods can be transported. Buses provide means by which relatively large numbers of people can be transported by a single vehicle on roadways.
Despite the advantages of the foregoing transportation means currently known in the art, they are also subject to several drawbacks. For example, in the running of locomotive trains and tractor trailer truck rigs, chemical and/or fossil fuel pollution occurs through the exhaust of the burning of fuel in order to operate internal combustion engines. Additionally, such internal combustion engines often generate significant amount of loud noise, disturbing the peace of the surrounding area. This is true even with the use of associated mufflers or the like, which decrease the energy efficiency of such internal combustion engines. Such drawbacks serve to disturb the wildlife habitat in the surrounding area as can be seen by inspecting the areas surrounding locomotive train tracks and/or highway systems.
Generally, the infrastructure to support locomotives and/or truck rigs is significantly expensive, not only to initially construct, but also to maintain in an ongoing basis.
It would be much better to have a simple system having a small number, such as three (3), major assemblies from which the transport system can be constructed. Such a system would preferably be lightweight and constructed from composite materials that would not deplete natural resources (such as wood). The simplicity of such a system would advantageously require minimal maintenance and repair, making the operating cost of the system preferably very low. Such a transport system should be able to maneuver and operate in a closed or open loop system, and negotiate tight curves with a radius of less than fifty (50) feet. Additionally, such a system should preferably be able to negotiate ten percent (10%) grades or better.
As indicated above, certain drawbacks are present in the art that might be addressed more advantageously. A previously issued U.S. Pat. to Mandros (U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,791 issued to Mandros on Sep. 7, 1982 for a Vehicle Guideway System), discloses an air-pressure driven system that incorporates an enclosed rail system by which cargo, including vehicles, may be transported. A complicated switching system is present in the Mandros patent, indicating that the construction of such a system would require significant maintenance as well as a significant, if not costly, construction.
It would be more advantageous to provide a lower-cost system that operates in conjunction with presendy-available technology in order to supply the most advantages and fewer disadvantages amongst the variety in various systems set forth above.